FreeCell vs Forty Thieves Strategy Guide

Quick Answer: FreeCell uses one deck with four free cells and alternating-color building, winning nearly 99% of deals with good play. Forty Thieves uses two decks with no free cells, same-suit building, and a stock pile — much harder at roughly 60–70% theoretical win rate with optimal play, but less forgiving for human players. Both reward strategic thinking over luck.

FreeCell and Forty Thieves share one key characteristic: they are both patience games where skill genuinely dominates luck. In both games, the vast majority of losses can be attributed to poor move selection rather than unfortunate shuffles. If you consider yourself a strategic thinker who enjoys solitaire as a mental workout, understanding both games will help you choose your next challenge.

Full Comparison Table

| Feature | FreeCell | Forty Thieves | |---|---|---| | Decks | 1 (52 cards) | 2 (104 cards) | | Tableau columns | 8 | 10 | | Free cells | 4 | None | | Stock pile | No | Yes | | Tableau building | Alternating colors | Same suit only | | Foundation building | Ace to King by suit | Ace to King by suit | | All cards visible | Yes | Partially (face-down in stock) | | Win rate (optimal play) | ~99% | ~60–70% | | Human win rate | ~80–90% | ~40–55% | | Difficulty | Medium | Hard–Very Hard | | Typical game time | 10–20 min | 20–40 min |

FreeCell: The Near-Perfect Puzzle

FreeCell is famous for its near-100% theoretical win rate — almost every deal is winnable with perfect play. Of the over 1 million standard deals in Microsoft FreeCell, fewer than 10 are unsolvable (including the famously impossible deal #11982).

What makes FreeCell nearly always winnable:

1. Full card visibility — all 52 cards are face-up from the start
2. Four free cells — individual card parking spots that provide enormous maneuvering room
3. No stock pile — no hidden cards entering play mid-game
4. Alternating-color building — twice as many legal moves compared to same-suit building

FreeCell was included in Windows 3.1 (1992) and became one of the most-played digital games in history. The complete guide to FreeCell Solitaire covers all strategies in depth.

Forty Thieves: The Two-Deck Challenge

Forty Thieves is named after the Ali Baba tale — and like that story, the odds are stacked against you. The two-deck format (104 cards), same-suit building requirement, absence of free cells, and stock pile with only partial card visibility create a genuinely hard game.

What makes Forty Thieves hard:

1. 104 cards — nearly twice as many as FreeCell to manage
2. Same-suit building — dramatically fewer legal moves than alternating-color
3. No free cells — no individual card storage; the stock is your only reserve
4. Stock-dependent play — critical cards can be stuck deep in the stock

Forty Thieves also earned a nickname as "Napoleon at St Helena," supposedly a game Napoleon played during his exile — though this historical claim is disputed. The game is well-documented on [Forty Thieves Rules](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patience_(game).

Key Strategic Differences

FreeCell strategy centers on planning moves to maximize free cell use. The key insight is that you can always "undo" a bad position by using cells and empty columns to reorganize. A systematic player in New York or anywhere with time to think can consistently win FreeCell.

Forty Thieves strategy requires more probabilistic thinking because the stock introduces uncertainty. You must manage which cards to play to the tableau and which to let flow through to the waste pile based on incomplete information. The same-suit building means sequences break more often, requiring careful suit tracking.

For detailed FreeCell strategies, see our advanced solitaire strategies guide. For Forty Thieves, the Forty Thieves Solitaire guide covers strategies in depth.

Which Game Should You Play?

Play FreeCell if:

• You want a game you can usually win with careful play
• You enjoy pure information puzzle-solving (no hidden cards)
• You prefer 10–20 minute sessions
• You want to learn a strategic solitaire game without the frustration of frequent losses
• You are new to strategic solitaire and want to build skills

Play Forty Thieves if:

• You have mastered FreeCell and want a significantly harder challenge
• You enjoy two-deck games with more cards to manage
• You are comfortable with frequent losses as part of the learning process
• You want a game that tests probability reasoning alongside pure planning
• You enjoy longer, more complex sessions (20–40 minutes)

Both games appeal to the same type of player — someone who values thought over luck in their card games. Forty Thieves is simply FreeCell's harder, more complex cousin.

Historical Context

FreeCell's digital version was created by Paul Alfille for the PLATO system in 1978, then popularized by Jim Horne's version in Microsoft Windows. Its inclusion in Windows 3.1 introduced it to hundreds of millions of players.

Forty Thieves predates digital solitaire significantly, appearing in Victorian-era patience books. It has been played in card game communities in Europe and America for over 150 years. Today both games appear on platforms including Soliatre.us and the Microsoft Solitaire Collection.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the main difference between FreeCell and Forty Thieves?

FreeCell uses one deck with four free cells and alternating-color tableau building, winning nearly 99% of deals. Forty Thieves uses two decks with no free cells, same-suit building, and a stock pile — winning only 60–70% of deals with optimal play, significantly less for human players. FreeCell is a nearly perfect puzzle; Forty Thieves is genuinely challenging.

Which is harder — FreeCell or Forty Thieves?

Forty Thieves is significantly harder. Its 60–70% theoretical win rate (versus FreeCell's 99%) reflects more cards, stricter building rules, no free cells, and a stock pile with hidden information. Human players typically win Forty Thieves about 40–55% of the time, compared to 80–90% for FreeCell.

Does Forty Thieves have free cells?

No. Forty Thieves has no free cells. Your only reserve is the stock pile — and stock cards are hidden until dealt. This is one of the most significant reasons Forty Thieves is harder than FreeCell. The absence of free cells means you cannot easily "park" cards while reorganizing the tableau.

How many decks does Forty Thieves use?

Forty Thieves uses two standard 52-card decks shuffled together, totaling 104 cards. This is roughly double the complexity of FreeCell's single-deck game. Managing duplicate cards (two 7 of Spades, for example) and eight foundations (two per suit) adds a layer of tracking that single-deck games do not require.

Are both FreeCell and Forty Thieves skill-based?

Yes — both games strongly reward skill over luck. In FreeCell, nearly every deal is winnable with perfect play, meaning losses are almost always skill-related. In Forty Thieves, even with perfect play about 30–40% of deals are unwinnable, but the remaining deals are determined by move quality. Both games are much better for strategic players than luck-heavy games like Klondike or Pyramid.

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💡 Comparative Verdict Update (2026)

Analytical reviews show that transitioning from Klondike to Spider or Yukon builds superior decision-tree logic, while FreeCell offers the highest rate of completely solvable deals for tactical players.